


Worse Than I Thought

by MaurLin



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: COVID-19, Gen, Serious, Sick Character, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:35:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28996086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaurLin/pseuds/MaurLin
Summary: Nothing was going to slow Alya down- not Hawkmoth, not school, not a pandemic.Not even that dry,scratchy feeling in her throat.
Comments: 63
Kudos: 29





	1. It's not that bad...

**Author's Note:**

> Characters belong to ZAG and Thomas Astruc.

** Day 2: **

_It’s just a dry throat. Not even sore; no big deal. Even if it is persistent._

Alya bonked her head on her desk, simply because she could. Then she did it again.

_Just a dry, scratchy throat._

** Day 3: **

She hadn’t thought much of it, half a week ago. When her throat started to burn from a dryness that no amount of water seemed to soothe. Juice and popsicles were better, but even they didn’t hold off the burning for long. But it wasn’t that bad. She’d had colds that were worse.

So Alya went about her day. Masked, of course; no one went anywhere public without a mask anymore. Marinette had made the entire class a whole slew of fashionable (yet practical) masks, so no one was without. Alya thought it was a little silly; the mask got in her way in ways she hadn’t had to consider before. It was hard enough to walk and breathe through multiple layers; running was a whole new level of difficult since this whole pandemic thing started.

_You’d think Hawkmoth would leave the city well enough alone, but noooo…_

Ladybug and Chat Noir had some kind of masks on the lower halves of their faces now; whatever they were made of was probably a lot better than simple layers of cloth. Alya envied them and was grateful the heroes had the best protection possible at the same time.

But she hadn’t thought anything of her scratchy throat. _Probably just spending too much time indoors. Happens all the time._

Alya could pinpoint when she thought maybe she’d been wrong. That afternoon, after the online class ended and in the middle of her homework, she was sipping her ever-present water to ease her throat. (Juice was better, but Nora’s keto kick meant that there wasn’t a lot of it around.) Alya suddenly got a chill, as if the room got air-conditioning. Wasn’t that strange; sometimes the twins would play with the thermostat (they knew they shouldn’t, but, well, _kids_ ) and no one would notice. But the killer headache between her eyes, causing pain as she looked at her screen, and the sudden plug in her right nostril _combined_ with that scratchy throat and chill-

She decided to hole up in her room for the rest of the day. Just in case.

Telling Nora and her parents from a safe distance, Alya grabbed two bottles of water and waited in her room. Well, ‘waited’ as in ‘laid down on the bed with her eyes shut.’ It certainly beat sitting up, with the way her head was pounding. And the way her room was freezing...


	2. Maybe It Is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, maybe this is a bigger deal than Alya thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters belong to ZAG and Thomas Astruc.
> 
> Situation is based on reality; minor tweaks to accommodate the MLB universe have been added as needed.

** Day 4: **

Actually, the temperature couldn’t make up its mind. Shivering under three layers of blankets led to Alya throwing them all off in an attempt to cool down. Her mother left her more water, some medicine, and a thermometer at her door, plus instructions to use her phone to call if she needed anything else, like dinner.

No, she didn’t want dinner. Food was a necessity, not a pleasure; Alya wasn’t hungry at all, and even knowing she needed to eat didn’t stop her from feeling that way. What she wanted (other than her head to stop hurting and her eyes to stop watering) was _sunlight_ and _fresh air,_ which was weird. And while she could’ve opened the window, it just didn’t feel like _enough_.

Alya spent her time ignoring her situation by texting her friends between naps. She begged Marinette and Nino to go get her akuma footage for the Ladyblog; both of them drew the line at risking their lives for views. Marinette was the one who brought up being tested first.

**_M: Have you been tested? You probably should._ **

**_A: It’s a scratchy throat, M. I’m not coughing, or losing any senses. It’s not remotely life-threatening._ **

**_M: It STARTED with a scratchy throat, you mean. Have you checked the symptoms list?_ **

Alya hadn’t, at least not recently. She clicked on the self-assessment link Marinette had helpfully sent.

_Fever?_ Yes, she’d used the thermometer as requested every four hours; her temperature was climbing and had hit 38°C last she checked.

_Cough?_ No, not really. Breathing past the lump at the back of her throat was only a little challenging. Sometimes that triggered a cough, but not a hard one; more like a throat clearing.

_Congestion or runny nose?_ Well, yes; her scratchy throat had come with a slightly runny nose, but she wasn’t congested until that sudden obstruction yesterday.

_Sore throat?_ That one- was a little too on point. (Although it wasn’t really sore; just dry. Did that count? After some thought, Alya decided it did.) _Well played, M._

_Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing?_ Only if you counted that lump in her throat. Alya had had bronchitis before; this felt completely different. Her lungs felt clear.

_Chills with or without repeated shaking?_ Um, yeah, now that she thought about it. Alya was starting to think maybe Marinette had a point.

_Muscle pain?_ Yeah, maybe… a little…

_Headache?_ …maybe a lot…

_New loss of taste or smell?_ No, she could taste just fine. She just wasn’t _hungry._ Or, well, she was a little hungry, but nothing sounded good. Except juice and broth, and one day in, she was _tired_ of broth. And Nora was keeping Alya from having juice, or anything sugary.

_Fatigue?_ Yeah, her energy was gone; she’d spent half the day dozing off and on before answering Marinette’s texts.

_Nausea or vomiting?_ That at least was a hard no. _Thank goodness._

_Diarrhea?_ Nope, and boy was Alya glad. The only thing that would make isolating herself worse would be having to camp out in the bathroom.

Still, seven out of twelve (maybe eight)? Maybe Marinette had a point. Just to rule it out. Alya dialed her mom on her cell; she heard it ring in the other room.

“Mom?” Alya’s voice sounded rough, even to her ears. “Marinette thinks I need to get checked for coronavirus.”

_“I thought of that, sweetie. Your dad’s taking you in tomorrow morning.”_

Oh. Well, good; Alya didn’t really want to think anymore, anyway. Another nap was a much better idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And...it progresses. It's weird now, in hindsight, that I didn't cotton on sooner. But I actually had to sit down and run the symptom list to even consider that it might've been corona. (Up til then, I thought it was just a run-of-the-mill illness; denial, apparently, is not just a river in Egypt.)
> 
> Thanks for your indulgence into this period of my recent past. Let me know what you think!


	3. Doctors and Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya goes to get tested.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters belong to ZAG and Thomas Astruc.

** Day 5: **

Alya hadn’t anticipated just how _tiring_ it was to walk even short distances. The tests were being administered in an underground parking structure near the clinic; the check-in involved waiting in the car until they were called to come over to the makeshift office. Between the concrete walls and rolling dividers, the whole setup had a definite post-apocalyptic vibe.

Even so, the mere fifteen meters was exhausting. And concerning; it left Alya a bit breathless, and in need of a drink of her bottled water. It also concerned the nurse, who had clipped a monitor to her finger first thing; the woman asked about her heart rate spiking before seeing that the spike went down as soon as Alya was allowed to sit.

Everyone who’d had the test that Alya had talked to had one thing to say about it- that the test was painful. What she hadn’t known- and nobody had mentioned- was that the test was self-inflicted. The nurse (double-masked, gloved, and double-gowned) handed Alya a nasal swab and told her exactly how and where to stick it. Following those instructions made her eyes water much more than they already were; it felt like she was jabbing right under each eyeball. The strep test (a precaution, in case the disease wasn’t what they thought) was a breeze be comparison.

No news was good news; that was something the doctor had said over and over, as he listened to Alya’s lungs and heart. _Clear lungs, good. Heart sounds, good._ _Strep test, negative._ The doctor then put his hand on Alya’s lower back.

“How are your kidneys? Any back pain?”

“Uhm…” That hadn’t been on the symptom list. “No?”

“Good.” The doctor then told Alya and her father that the results would be in by the next day at the latest; in the meantime, she was to stay away from other people, drink water, and monitor her symptoms.

Which she did, but Alya quickly realized that self-monitoring as her sole occupation was _boring._ Not even reading the LadyBlog comments or sorting through the footage people were submitting of the latest attack (a purple-and-orange monstrosity that turned the KidsPlus studio into a tower of rubbery Jell-O) distracted her for long. She wanted _out,_ she wanted _sun,_ she was going stir-crazy and she had only been on lockdown for two days!

Even her computer and phone weren’t much help in alleviating the boredom. Although Alya had gotten footage submitted from another akuma attack, it wasn’t that great- the akuma was little more than a black-and-white blur, and the camera angles left a lot to be desired. _Honestly people, don’t aim at the ceiling!_

Her phone dinged.

**_M: Have you heard yet?_ **

**_A: No!_ **

**_M: Aww. I’m sorry, Alya._ **

**_A: I want OUT! I’m sick of being sick!_ **

**_M: Alya ... :(_ **

**_A: I know, I know. I’m just bored. Can’t go to akuma attacks, can’t see friends, can’t even go to the kitchen for a snack. Not that I’m that hungry, but I know I need to eat, and the food is THERE, and I have to call and ask for it!_ **

**_M: I know you hate being dependent on other people._ **

**_M: Just wait and see. Maybe it’s not corona._ **

**_A: …_ **

**_A: Maybe._ **

**_A: I think I need another nap._ **

**_M: Call me if you’re still bored when you wake up. Maybe we can do a game over the phone._ **

**_A: Okay. Thanks, girl._ **

Alya rolled over on her bed and closed her eyes.

By dinnertime, Alya was feeling a lot better. Actually a little hungry for once, and her fever was gone. Sure, if she sat up or walked around her room, she got tired and a little breathless, but she’d probably just been in bed too much. She could power through that, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...the doctor's visit was really...different. It actually was 'outside' in the parking structure and felt like having a doctor's visit in a bomb shelter. And I still have no idea why he asked about my kidneys.
> 
> Let me know what you think!


	4. More Effort Needed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya just wants a shower. That's...tougher than it sounds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters belong to ZAG and Thomas Astruc.

** Day 6: **

Alya wrinkled her nose as she put a hand to her hair. A shower was definitely in order. Mentally, she sighed, because this was going to be a big deal.

Bathroom visits had to be planned out, since she shared the bathroom with her family. When she had to go, Alya phoned her mother, her family cleared a path as she slipped out of her room and into the bathroom. When she was done, one of her parents (or Nora) cleaned the room thoroughly before anyone else could use it.

So far Alya hadn’t attempted to shower for that very reason. But she really couldn’t put it off any longer. She tapped her mother’s contact on her phone.

“Mom?”

_“Yes, sweetie?”_

“I…really need to shower. Can I?”

Her mother hummed. _“Let me figure out how we’re going to do this. Give me a few minutes.”_

Alya didn’t want to wait- the gross feeling of not showering for days was catching up to her- but she bit her lip. “Okay.”

It only took fifteen minutes or so to figure out a plan. Towels, washcloths, and a new set of pajamas were left in the bathroom, fresh from the laundry. Soap and shampoo- small bottles unused by anyone else- were stocked within reach of the shower. The rest of the family holed up in the twins’ room, leaving just Alya and Nora.

Alya made her way to the bathroom fast and shut the door behind her. She was a little out of breath, so she paused for a second on the edge of the tub until her heart slowed down again.

Well, waiting wouldn’t make it any easier. Alya turned the water on to warm, and stripped off her old jammies. Even that took a lot of energy, but she stepped into the tub anyway; she wanted to be clean!

But the combination of humid air and standing was growing too tiring, too fast. Alya panted as she leaned against the tiled wall. She’d been trying to hurry, but it was just so much…

She slid down into the tub, with the water running over her, just to sit for a minute and catch her breath…

A knock sounded on the door. “Al? You drowning in there?”

Alya groaned. “Nooo…” She was as clean as she was going to get; she turned off the water with her foot and levered herself up. Her legs were like jelly, but she managed to get out without falling. Her fingers slipped off the towel she reached for, shaking from something other than cold.

Leaning against the sink for support, Alya managed to dry off and get dressed. By the end, she was breathing as heavily as if she had chased an akuma attack across half the arrondisement.

She knocked on the door. “Nora, I’m coming out.”

“Don’t forget your mask.”

Alya rolled her eyes as she opened the door. “I didn’t.” The mask was a ubiquitous part of her life now. In her own room, she could shed the wretched thing, but if she even answered her door at dinnertime, she had to wear it just in case to protect her family. She picked up the used towels to take with her.

On the other side of the door Nora waited a couple meters away, masked and gloved. She was holding a spray bottle of disinfectant and a handful of rags. “Get moving, Miss Nosy. I’ll take care of anything else.”

Alya went, more than happy to collapse in bed as soon as she got back to her room. After a few minutes, she fell asleep.

Alya’s dad woke her up from her nap later that evening by knocking on the bedroom door.

“Hrmm?”

“Are you awake, sweetheart?”

“…Kinda?”

“The doctor called us back with your test results…” Alya could hear him sigh through the door. “It’s positive. You have corona.”

Alya rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling. All she could think to say was, “Oh.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, this is where I had to change my experience a bit. I received a call from County Health the day after my results came in; they asked (among other things) if I was able to completely isolate myself in my home. Meaning that I had a private bathroom and could cut myself off from all the other inhabitants. If I couldn't, they said, they would help me find a place to stay.
> 
> I live in the granny's apartment on the back of my house, so I was okay; I didn't have to leave my space. But here I had to consider how difficult bathroom visits would be if the family shared the space. (I don't think Alya's folks would agree to letting their child stay in some strange place alone.)
> 
> The experience in the shower was completely accurate, though. It doesn't sound like an exhausting activity, but it was. I thought I'd planned, and I felt physically so much better than the previous days that I thought it would be okay for five minutes. Silly Maur.
> 
> Let me know what you think!


	5. Sweet Boredom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya is bored, and finally hungry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters belong to ZAG and Thomas Astruc.

** Day 7: **

Alya didn’t understand. She hadn’t had a fever for thirty-six hours, and as long as she was lying down, she felt perfectly normal. To the point where the boredom was driving her _insane._

She was also sick and tired of only drinking water. She was finally starting to feel hungry, and had asked her mom for regular meals again instead of small cups of soup, but her taste buds (the traitors) craved something sweet.

_Honestly, I would risk running out to the kitchen if I could get a popsicle. Or fruit; cantaloupe sounds awesome…_

She settled for catching up on her homework and texting her best friend.

**_A: Hey girl!_ **

**_A: Guess what? I’m feeling a lot better!_ **

It took a bit for Marinette to answer; there was no response until sometime after the akuma attack ended. (Honestly, Hawkmoth was a royal pain in the asset. Alya wondered if he was only akumatizing people because he was being quarantined and was bored too.)

**_M: Sorry! Left my phone upstairs while helping in the bakery. Trying to complete the phone orders while staying out of contact with the people picking up and making sure they’re getting the right orders- it’s complicated._ **

**_A: So you guys are busy? Good! I’d hate for your parents’ business to go under._ **

**_M: But you’re feeling better? That’s great! Is it corona? When can you go back to normal?_ **

**_A: Yeah, it is. I got the results last night. Dad says I can’t go outside for three more days!_ **

**_M: Awww…_ **

**_A: I know! I just want to have a bathroom break without it being a major production._ **

**_M: TMI, Alya…_ **

**_A: And I’m finally hungry again! I just want to go out and get a snack without having to call Mom._ **

**_A: And if Nora picks up, she won’t let me have whatever it is! She says I should only be eating meat or vegetables, no sugar or starch, until I’m better._ **

**_M: I’ll send you some pastries. That ought to help!_ **

**_A: No, don’t. I’d rather you stay away, in case my family’s caught this._ **

**_M: Don’t worry about that. I have a plan._ **

**_A: … should I be worried?_ **

**_A: It’s okay, I can get some another time. You shouldn’t risk it._ **

**_A: Hello?_ **

Alya set her phone aside with a huff when she got no response. There was no way Nora would let Marinette into the apartment, much less with a box of pastries. She wouldn’t get her hopes up.

Sitting at her desk was making her breathless and sleepy, though. She downloaded a few video files to her tablet and began to edit them while lounging on her bed. She’d gotten a lot of submissions for the akuma fight that morning, and she lost herself in figuring out the timeline from the different cameras.

An odd shadow crossed her window, followed by a small ‘ _thump’_ from her French balcony. Curious, she started to get up off the bed, then her phone dinged with a text.

**_M: Special delivery! Check outside!_ **

****

Alya pulled her curtain open a little wider, and saw a pastry box with what looked like a parachute attached sitting on the narrow strip of balcony. She opened the door a crack and pulled it in; a whiff of what she thought was chocolate came in with it.

She was grateful she’d never really lost her sense of taste or smell. Sure, it was less than usual with the congestion she’d had at the beginning, but Alya could still taste things just fine- and right now, there was a box of assorted pastries just waiting for her to taste them! Her mouth watered.

She carried the bounty back to her bed and picked up her phone as she stuffed a macaron in her mouth.

**_A: Girl, how did you do that? Thank you so much!_ **

**_M: ;) Trade secret. Maman says don’t eat them all at once!_ **

Alya snorted and put her phone down. Leave it to Marinette to find a way onto the roof just to deliver a box of goodies. Sometimes she was sure her friend was certifiably insane with the plans she made- but she couldn’t complain too much, when it came with pastries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kind of taken from reality. Snowball called and asked what she could bring as a treat; I said 'nothing', because I knew I'd never get any if my family got to it first. But she persisted, and finally I said 'popsicles'. And she delivered (although not by skymail). And I did get one- eventually.
> 
> What can I say? Good friends are awesome when they hear you're sick.


	6. See the Parallels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya's allowed to be with family- with precautions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters belong to ZAG and Thomas Astruc.

** Day 10: **

_After everything, it’s a relief to interact normally with my family- well, semi-normally._ Alya still had to stay two meters away from everyone, and she still had to wear a mask, but having gone more than two days without a fever meant that she was likely no longer infectious. Not that anyone was being _reckless_ or anything- the bathroom still got scoured after use, and Alya wasn’t allowed to do dishes, but she could leave her room and say hello to people. If anything, the only problem was keeping the twins away from her.

“Okay, I’ll tell you a story, but I have to do it from over here.”

“But it’s not as much fun!”

“Sorry.” Alya gave them a smile, though they couldn’t see it due to the mask.

She’d missed this more than she knew. While her parents and her sisters had been on lockdown for a few days until they all tested negative, Alya hadn’t been near enough to really _talk_ with them in forever. Or _see_ them, really. She missed interacting with people; texting and video chats were great, but screens just didn’t carry the same feeling.

Alya really wanted a hug. From anyone; she wasn’t fussy at this point. If Hawkmoth had walked up to her with open arms, she’d have probably hugged him. (Then breathed in his face, in the hopes of making him sick- _because who would pass up that opportunity?-_ but hugs first.) She missed Nino like crazy; she missed Marinette, she missed her family’s casual hugs and touches, even the twins’ tumbling over her.

Alya couldn’t wait for the next day. Officially, she’d be free to go back outside again and interact with the public. Within reason; social distancing was still a thing, but the fresh air and space that was not _bedroom_ would do wonders for her mood. Sure, she still got tired at every little thing, but moving around more was sure to make that better.

It was just in time, too- her mother’s birthday was in a few days, and Alya wanted to go around and gather some treats for her special day.

For now, it was enough to see her family and the rest of the apartment. _Funny; I’d never appreciated how much being stuck in one room sucks before…_

She stiffened, as a thought crossed her mind. Nino had said that Adrien was kind of forced to spend a lot of time alone in his room. _Is this what it’s like for Adrien all the time?_

_Okay, that’s it._ Alya made plans to call Nino after family movie night. _We’re gonna find a way to bust Sunshine out. Even if I have to flag Ladybug down and beg her to steal him away._

Being isolated for being sick was one thing. Being isolated because of a control-freak dad- that was absolute crap. And Alya wasn’t going to let Adrien feel like she had if she could help it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After a thorough interrogation by County Health, I was given certain dates as to when it would be okay to go back to normal life- provided I was fever- and symptom-free, of course. (Work decided to extend that time by another week, which turned out to be a good thing when I realized the fatigue wasn't leaving as quickly as everything else.) 
> 
> (Actually, I was supposed to be flying to Florida the day they said I could go out in public. When I mentioned it, they said I 'probably' shouldn't go. Disappointing, but ultimately good call.)
> 
> Nobody else in my family caught this, which is a miracle since the parents are in the high-risk category. I hope the vaccines are effective for that group.
> 
> Short chapter, and this will be wrapping up in the next one. Thanks for reading!


	7. Recovering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trying to be normal after being sick comes hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters belong to ZAG and Thomas Astruc.

** Day 13: **

Nino had come to pick Alya up to help her run her errands. Normally, she might have resented the idea that she couldn’t manage on her own- but she hadn’t seen Nino in _ages_ , and her body was still protesting excessive movement with extreme fatigue.

Somewhere Nino had procured a tandem bicycle. It took a few minutes to get used to it, but before long, the two of them were headed to Marinette’s to pick up a cake. The best part of the bike was that, being in the back seat (as Nino had insisted) meant that Alya could rest when she needed to, and the bike would still be moving.

That being said- it still took muscles to balance and shift. By the time they reached the boulangerie, Alya was breathing hard and her hands were shaking.

“You okay?” Nino’s masked face looked back at her as he parked the bike.

“Yeah,” Alya panted. “Just give me a minute.” She stepped slowly over to the table outside and slid into a chair.

“You want me to go in and get the cake for you?”

“Nope. I need the exercise.” She grinned at her boyfriend. Not that he could tell, with the mask.

Despite the fact that she couldn’t see any more of his face than he could hers, she could tell Nino was unconvinced. But he slid into a seat next to Alya as she gathered her strength.

It was more like ten minutes before Alya felt good enough to move. Planning her errands in her head, she realized her mistake. _How long am I going to be so weak? I thought I was over this!_

At that point Marinette came out of the boulangerie, pasteboard box in hand. “Alya, we could have delivered this for you; you didn’t have to come all the way here!”

“Yes, I did.” Alya glanced up at her best friend. “Do you realize how long it’s been since I’ve been outside? I’m turning into a mushroom!”

Marinette giggled, and Nino stifled a snicker. “Well, then I guess it’s okay- as long as you’re feeling better.” Her grin widened. “Does this mean you don’t need balcony deliveries anymore?”

Two more boxes had shown up by parachute since the first one, usually right after Alya had been complaining about being stuck in one place. (And seriously, how was Marinette _doing_ that? If the roof access were that easy to get to, Alya would have taken Nino up there for an evening or two a long time ago. Alya shrugged mentally; her friend had already proven her ability to get into the weirdest places.)

“No, I’ve got the all-clear; I can go out again. It’s just too tiring to do stuff still,” Alya explained. “I just wanted to do something for my mom’s birthday.”

“And you were going a little cray-cray at home,” Nino added.

Alya sighed. _Well, he’s not wrong._ “Okay, that too.” She winced, as she thought about getting up and moving. “But I’ll never get my strength back if I sit around the house.”

Behind her mask, Marinette looked just as unconvinced as Nino had. “All right, but don’t push too hard.” She handed the box over to Nino. “And let Nino help if you’re tired.”

Alya rolled her eyes a little. “Yes, _Mom.”_ She sighed. “I think I’m going to have to cut this short and go home. I’ll order the other stuff I wanted to get for delivery.” She glanced over at Nino. “Sorry to cut this short.”

The corners of Nino’s eyes crinkled above his mask as he got up to retrieve the bike. “I’d rather you watched out for yourself. You usually don’t.”

Alya flushed as Marinette held back a laugh.

** Day 20: **

_“Hey guys! It’s your girl, Alya, coming back with our next sighting of Ladybug and Chat Noir! Yeah, I know I’ve been away for a while. Word to the wise; all those things we’re told to do, like washing our hands and staying apart? Yeah, I was doing all that, and I thought I was doing everything right. I still caught corona. And although I’m not feeling as good as I was, I’m better enough to come back to bring you all things superhero!”_

_“So, a quick Public Service Announcement from your girl here- keep doing all that stuff; it helps. But if you do catch corona- take a breath, stay calm, and keep away from others for a bit. It might not be the end of the world after all.”_

**_*An explosion is heard off camera. The camera tilts wildly around to focus on Paris’ heroes running down a line of roofs.*_ **

_“Oops! Sounds like patrol got interrupted! Let’s go see what Hawkmoth’s created to pit against Our Heroes today!”_

**_*The camera is moving down the street, in pursuit of the story.*_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's pretty much it. I was trying to get treats for my mother's birthday- managed to pick up lunch and a cake, lost my will to push on before I got to the florist. Even though I was driving and not biking, just being out made me so blasted TIRED. And a few days after that, I had to go back to work (essential services; I never went into true lockdown because of it.) That first day back was exhausting, but over time it got better. 
> 
> I'm still not where I was, but it's pretty close now. Basically, life goes on, and we adapt.
> 
> Hope you've enjoyed this, or at least didn't hate it. Stay as safe as possible!

**Author's Note:**

> So, yeah. I had COVID. Not a bad case, mind. And maybe I've missed it, but no one seems to be talking about what it's like to have it. So I'm describing my experience as best I can, filtered through Alya. (Sorry, girl.)
> 
> I feel for anyone who's lost someone to this illness, which can definitely be way worse than depicted here. I know a few people who have died from it, though no one very close. I also feel for those who got it worse than I did. Doing without a major sense would be awful.
> 
> This is going to break my rule of posting finished fics. I may never finish this. That being said...maybe someone could use this. I hope so.


End file.
